Service providers offer various communications services to customers including broadband access to the Internet. Special hardware is often required to enable the customer to utilize such services. For example, broadband access may be provided via a digital subscriber line (“DSL”) that requires a DSL modem to interconnect the customer's personal computer to the service provider's network. As another example, a router may be required to interconnect several computers of a local area network to a modem that interconnects the local area network to the service provider's network. Service providers often provide the necessary communications device(s) to the customer upon the customer purchasing the particular communications service.
The service provider may provide the customer with the option to self-install the communications device(s) and any associated software. Often, the service provider will provide step-by-step instructions for the customer to perform when installing the communications device(s) and software. However, there are often many variables that may be present and that may cause difficulty for the consumer to fully complete the installation process so that the telecommunications service is fully available. For example, the customer may misunderstand the directions or the customer may choose not to follow them. As other examples, there may be a problem with the personal computer of the customer, with the communications device being installed, or with the network. Any of these problems may cause the installation process to fail.
When the installation process fails, the customer typically calls a customer service representative to request help with the installation. The customer service representative may attempt to talk the customer through solution attempts. If the problem is simple, such as a cable the customer forgot to connect, then this attempt may solve the problem. However, the problem may be more complicated and not evident to the customer and the representative, such as an incorrect setting of the personal computer or a faulty device or connection. In such a situation, a technician may be dispatched to the customer's location to attempt to fix the problem and complete the installation potentially at the expense of the service provider. Alternatively, the customer may become aggravated that the self-installation has failed and may attempt to return the hardware device for an exchange or refund, again at the expense of the service provider.
Furthermore, once the service is operational for the customer, a problem may later result which may prompt the customer to again contact a customer service representative to request help. As with the installation process, the customer service representative may again attempt to talk the customer through solution attempts. The problem may be solved through these attempts, but if the problem is not solved then a technician may be dispatched potentially at the expense of the service provider. Alternatively, the customer may attempt to return the hardware device for an exchange or refund, again potentially at the expense of the service provider.